Healthy Aging Is Less Likely When Weight Is Gained in Early and Middle Adulthood

Mean weight gain in U.S. adults is about 1 to 2 pounds annually during early and middle adulthood. In this study, investigators followed about 118,000 young and middle-aged adults enrolled in two large national studies of healthcare professionals (mean age at enrollment, ≈45) to assess the consequences of weight gain. Participants recalled their weight at age 18 (for women) or 21 (for men) and were weighed at age 55. Every 2 years after age 55, participants were evaluated for onset of major chronic diseases.

At age 55, women had gained a mean 12.6 kg, and men had gained a mean 9.7 kg. Significant associations were noted between weight gain and incidence of most major chronic diseases. For example, gain of ≥20 kg (vs. maintaining stable weigh…